Brian Thanks this is the idea I am thinking about ! Would it be easier to buy a complete truck for parts ! this way all parts would be there if needed and add a trans .My rear end is like yours 333. thanks dave

in a spare no expense world, I would look for a new bus with the drive train that I liked most. The late model engines and transmission choices are awesome. Forget about re powering what you have. Too much trouble and expense. And at the end, you would still have an old bus. This is my opinion, from a non emotional distance.

J C Yes I agree with you about start again . But the work and time invested in our bus now would cost much more then a repower . I can't find much in a 40 ' bus I would buy to day ( at 40' we have now there are a lot or provincial , state parks that we don't fit in now ) so I like the size .I could go to a 1995 mci d with a 60 series or maybe a blubird but after that they change to 45' dave

Brian Thanks this is the idea I am thinking about ! Would it be easier to buy a complete truck for parts ! this way all parts would be there if needed and add a trans .My rear end is like yours 333. thanks dave

I did purchase the entire front clip of a Freightliner Century class truck to get my repower candidate. This worked out fantastic and I think my repower ended being better in the end since I had access to so many parts to complete the swap out.

While I agree it might be better to buy a bus with the power train you want I also don't think this is for everyone. I have literally many hundreds if not over a thousand hours in my conversion. I could not justify buying a new bus to get a different engine and transmission. The work to move the conversion and redo what I already have done is just not feasible for me at this point in my life. Yes, I still have a 1985 bus, but the repower makes it feel like it is at least 10 years newer. I have no regrets and while I put a lot of money into the repower, it was no more than if I had replaced the aged and dead 6v92 with a rebuilt 6v92. So, I spent the same amount of money I had to spend to rebuild the dead 6v92 and got LOTS more power, better fuel mileage, and cruise control to boot!

Not everyone will be in the same situation I was in - hopefully! - so your choices may vary.

I have no regrets and after 40,000+ miles I'm almost half way to paying for the repower on fuel savings alone. Gotta love that!

Before you commit to a repower project, do a lot more homework. You need to find out how much for a ISM Cummins (the only 4-stroke that will fit your coach w/o extending the rear bodywork), a B500 Allison, all the various wiring harnesses, the approximate cost of labor for the install, etc. . . etc. . . etc.

Once you get all that added up, you'll have a better idea of the project's feasibility, vs keeping what you've got for now.

IMHO, based on your above quoted original statement, it ain't broke, so don't "fix" it until it does.

R J I think your right about reaserch. I told my son and he's like a pitbull when it comes to reaserch on the computer. Is there a better year to look for? say between 2000 and 2006 before the emissions crap ? and different hp ratings ? thanks dave

TomC will be the best resource for this info, he's been selling 18-wheelers forever, and is a walking encyclopedia of engine/trans technical data. . .

The Cummins/Allison combo was used in a lot of Gillig Phantom transit buses, btw. Might be the cheapest way to pick up a powertrain, by buying a whole coach from a transit district at auction. Most likely can also be found in Orions, New Flyers, Neoplans and other transits (but not GM or RTS, they used a V-drive.)